LONG KNOWN for his Christian and community service on Vancouver Island, Alexander McDougall (Alex) Hall died June 16 in Victoria, the city of his birth, at age 96.

Born December 6, 1913, Hall earned a degree in agronomy from the University of British Columbia before World War II.

He then served in the European theatre in that conflict, before returning to Victoria.

There, he joined what later became BC Hydro (BCH), where he organized rural electrification on Vancouver Island. He continued with BCH throughout his working career.

But it was his skill as a Bible teacher that endeared him to many young adults.

He taught a class for over three decades at Emmanuel Baptist Church – and, during the same period, was sponsor of Victoria High School’s Inter-School Christian Fellowship (ISCF) chapter.

Intriguingly, that interest put him on site at Emmanuel many weekdays as well as on Sundays.

At that time, unlike the administration of other high schools, leaders at Vic High preferred not to have the ISCF on school property.

So, during a noon hour and/or after school, one day each week, Hall would meet with students at Emmanuel, which was located on the northeast corner of the school campus in the Fernwood area.

Today, the former Emmanuel church is the Belfry Theatre. The congregation moved three decades ago to its present site adjacent to another campus, that of the University of Victoria (UVic).

The memorial service for Hall, attended by close to 200, was held at Emmanuel June 24.

Neil Graham, former western Canadian director for Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF), the parent body of ISCF, spoke of Hall’s life as one where he strived to “serve God and others.”

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He noted that the person being memorialized had been a member of the UVic Senate.

In his retirement years, Hall continued his Bible teaching activity, working often with international students brought together by a Victoria lay leader, Alan Stewart.

Hall also served on the Victoria Public Library board for many years.

As an extension of his agronomy-related work, he assisted in 4H clubs on the Saanich Peninsula, enabling many young people to learn and practice the ropes of agricultural management and animal husbandry.

Adele Wickett – editor of Island Insight’s predecessor, Sunday Magazine, recalls an example of Hall’s interest in sharing his faith with others in the community.

Wickett, with her husband, Garry, operated a Christian bookstore in the 70s.

She recalled Hall placing an order for several dozen copies of Eerdman’s Handbook to the Bible at the time of his retirement from Hydro in 1977.

“He wanted to present his work associates with the handbook,” she noted.

Hall was married, for a short period in the 50s, to Finola Duke.

Friends recall that Hall often grieved over the fact that the marriage did not last. But Duke and Hall remained mutually-supportive friends until her death a number of years ago.

Hall lived in his own home until two years before his death, when he moved to Joan Crescent Manor.

Contribution tributes in Hall’s memory may be made to IVCF or SIM International.

– Lloyd Mackey

August 2010